Deputies are targeting the stores that sell them by issuing heavy fines or, if possible, closing the store.

"Let's get ahead of this picture, and stop it and shut it down, and protect every kid that we possibly can," said Wayne Ivey, Brevard County Sheriff's Office spokesman. "It's not just the customer service representative that is working at the time the sale is made. It's the store owner; it's the person that's actually authorizing it to be on the shelves."

Ivey said synthetic drugs, such as marijuana-like K2 or potpourri, are hurting people.

READY FOR THE WEEKEND. BACK TO YOU. SYNTHETIC DRUGS HAVE BECOME SUCH A PROBLEM THAT BREVARD COUNTY IS GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND STATE LAW TO FIGHT THEM. IT IS THE FIRST LOCAL COUNTY TO GO AFTER THE OWNERS OF STORES THAT SELL THEM. WESH 2'S DAN BILLOW IS LIVE AT CAPE CANAVERAL. WHAT CAN HAPPEN TO THE STORE OWNERS? THEY COULD BE HIT WITH HEAVY FINES AND THEIR STORES COULD END UP LIKE THIS ONE, CLOSED AFTER A BUST FOR SELLING SYNTHETIC DRUGS. LET'S GET HEAD OF THIS PITCH AND BE ABLE TO STOP IT AND SHUT IT DOWN AND PROTECT EVERY KID WE CAN. BREVARD COUNTY SHERIFF IVY SAYS SYNTHETIC DRUGS SUCH AS MARIJUANA-LIKE K2 OR POTPOURRI ARE HURTING PEOPLE. KEITH WHO IS NEXT TO A SHOP THAT SOLD THE STUFF HAS SEEN IT. IT WAS IMMEDIATE. WITHIN THREE SECONDS THEY START SCREAMING AT THEMSELVES. THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT SAYS EFFECTS INCLUDE PARANOIA AND VIOLENT BEHAVIOR, SEIZURES, CONVULSIONS AND LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS. SO THE BREVARD COUNTY COMMISSION HAS JUST TAKEN A NEW APPROACH. ADVOCATED BY THE SHERIFF. HITTING WHERE THE MONEY IS MADE. IT'S NOT JUST THE CUSTOMER SERVICE REP THAT IS WORKING AT THE TIME THE SALE IS MADE. IT'S THE STORE OWNER. THE PERSON THAT IS ACTUALLY OKAYING AND AUTHORIZING IT TO BE ON SHELVES. SELLERS CAN BE FINED $15,000. THEIR SHOPS CAN BE CLOSED AND THEY CAN'T GET AROUND THE NEW LAW BY CHANGING THE FORMULATIONS OF THEIR PRODUCTS. ANYTHING SOLD TO PRODUCE A HIGH IS BANNED. THESE ARE BEING MARKETED THAT THEY'RE SAFE. THERE'S NOTHING SAFE ABOUT THIS. THE PENALTIES THAT THE COUNTY WOULD LEVY ARE ALL CIVIL. THE CRIMINAL LAWS ALSO STAY IN PLACE. ALTHOUGH THEY MAY BE FLAWED ACCORDING TO CRITICS THE STORE OWNERS AND PEOPLE WHO ARE USERS WOULD STILL BE SUBJECT TO